


Love is the Drug

by yoohoopuddin



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-16
Updated: 2013-01-16
Packaged: 2017-11-25 18:26:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/641729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yoohoopuddin/pseuds/yoohoopuddin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Richard has a 'girlfriend.' Turns out that Sebastian and Jim already know her rather well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love is the Drug

Richard cursed himself, muttered under his breath about how he should never have even considered allowing Severin to come to rehearsals with him. Even if that did mean blatantly ignoring his safety in the hope he could at least protect his dignity. The man hadn’t done anything embarrassing while Richard was actually on stage or neither when he was nattering away with his cast mates or the technicians swinging precariously positioned lights.

No - Severin had waited. He hadn’t made a comment on the ride home, his expression stoic as per usual as they slid into the cab and pulled away from the theatre. And he hadn’t made a peep when they’d waltzed inside the flat. Nope – he waited even more. Waited until Jim and Sebastian had arrived home too.

He’d opened his mouth almost simultaneous to Jim and Sebastian’s arses hitting the plush of the couch. He’d blabbed out his remarks as soon as their respective twins seemed settled down and painted Richard’s cheeks a bright shade of red.

“Richard has a girlfriend.”

Richard was going to protest, bark out an argument because really, how silly did that sound? But then he thought about it some more, the girl in question, and he realised, the flush of his cheeks deepening, that he’d be very nearly lying.

-

She was pretty. Dainty. Smaller than even Richard himself and twice as anxious, it appeared. They’d started talking over coffee, both having been lumbered with the task of carrying back trays stacked with the caffeine. Richard had initiated their first conversation, figuring they both needed a friend to creep out of their shells to when they weren’t prancing about on stage. He’d made some ridiculously corny comment on the biscuits or the likes and luckily, as if by some miracle, she’d giggled. A little laugh that sparked off what was to be many shared over even more mugs of coffee. 

He should have realised sooner really. Should have realised the first time she’d propped herself up on the tip of her toes and planted a quick peck upon his cheek. Or the second time she’d done the very same or perhaps the third when he’d been caught of guard and their mouths had smacked together in a fumbled turn. Yes, he probably should have recognised then that there was more than just a friendship brewing. But he hadn’t, because the thought of anything ‘romantic’ ever happening to him seemed outrageous.

And now Severin had tagged along and between watching Richard rattle off his lines, he’d noticed all the little slips and twitches exchanged between him and his ‘girlfriend.’ The bastard had probably lounged back and watched the two bumbling around each other with even more concentration than the play itself. Severin had probably held back an applause when she’d gripped tight at Richard’s arm in wishes for good luck and he’d been very close to jumping out of his skin at the burning touch.

-

 

Surprisingly enough, Sebastian was the first to pipe up. “Huh?”

Richard was cringing, every awkward glance or wringing of her slight hands flashing through his mind. 

“Always so articulate, aren’t you?” Jim crowed from where he sat - practically in his sniper’s lap. “Richard has a girlfriend.” He spoke that slowly, as if dragging out for the ease of understanding of a child. Well, and the fact that each elongated syllable proved to amplify Richard’s humiliation, Jim’s dark gaze locking upon his brother’s doe eyes to direct the underlying bitter tone. It wasn’t uncommon for Jim to address his twin like this but Richard had never grown accustomed to it. Every time Jim’s lips quirked up and a flicker of something sparkled in the consulting criminal’s wide stare, a ripple of shivers crawled up the arch of his spine. 

“She’s a cutie too,” Severin said with a smirk dangling over his lips. He must have enjoyed watching Richard squirm just as much then. Though his pale slits were settled upon his own twin, who was - rather cleverly, Richard thought - keeping himself quiet after his first blunder. Sebastian simply returned the smirk with a bob of his head. 

“No- I-” Richard stammered out helplessly. 

“Oh, Richie, don’t get all embarrassed like some little school-boy,” Jim was speaking again, words still forced out with a feigned gentleness. “It’s good that you’ve… found someone. Very good, actually. You really could do with getting laid.”

“What! No-“

Jim raised a finger, silencing any of Richard’s arguments. “What’s her name, dear?”

“She’s not my girlfriend!”

“What’s her name?” 

Richard mumbled out an answer, fingernails scratching as the broken skin of his palms. He didn’t want them to hurt her. That’s what Jim would surely do. He’d hunt her down and he’d hurt her for ever thinking she could even flirt with Richard, let alone date him. As ‘messed up’ as that may have been, it was true. Jim had always been uneasily protective over his twin. 

“Didn’t catch that.”

Richard winced as his gnawed nails scraped a little too harshly. Then, he crumbled - he gave in to keeping up the wall because if he didn’t give in soon all three of them would be attending his next practice. And he wouldn’t dare lie either. That would only cause whatever the hell Jim was planning on doing even worse. He winced at the idea of his next greeting with his co-star involving himself having to skilfully divert himself from gawking at a set of fresh bruises.

He inhaled a quavering breath. “Molly,” - and then exhaled a deflated sigh - “Molly Hooper.”

The actor was staring at his feet; chin burrowed into his chest, head lulled forward in a cocktail of defeat and shame. He was more ashamed that he’d thrust his friend in the spotlight for danger rather than the whole ‘kissing in a tree’ mess. That was why he didn’t catch the fleeting glance thrown between Sebastian and Jim - their eyes had grown a little wider, heads cocked sharp as the name rolled from the story-teller’s lips.

He definitely didn’t sight the two men synchronously mouthing, ‘She’s still breathing?’


End file.
